Sunday, June 30, 2013

The Adventures of Ninja Slashboom and Buckethead

"Jacob, come inside and eat lunch."

"But Mommy, I'm a ninja. Ninjas don't eat lunch when they are busy fighting bad guys." Jacob threw some kicks and punches in the direction of invisible teeth-gnashing, muscle-bulging giants, no doubt in a humble effort to save the universe.


"Ninja Jacob needs to eat lunch so he can get some energy to fight bad guys." Mommy sang aloud, her frustration-meter steadily increasing and in direct proportion to the shrillness of her voice.

Rude. "I'm not Ninja Jacob. I'm.....I'm.....I'm Ninja Slash. No, Ninja Slashboom." A karate kick nearly missed Mommy's face as the fearless ninja whizzed by.

A small, unsteady frame in blue plaid shorts suddenly entered stage right. He grinned comically, revealing a large gap between his two front baby teeth. As his lips parted further, mountainous teeth formations jutted haphazardly from his pink gums. He toddled towards a large bucket, lifted it up with much concentration, and plunked the bucket right onto his head.


"This is my side kick." Ninja Slashboom proudly raised his arms to the sky and announced, "Presenting Buckethead! The scariest sidekick on the planet!" As if on cue, Buckethead suddenly lost balance and, as the earth fell out from beneath him, landed loudly on his diapered butt. THUNK.

Buckethood pulled the bucket off and flashed his mountain-range smile once again as he quickly shook his head back and forth.

Ninja Slashboom was unphased by the comical show of his sidekick and continued to swat at the air before him, leveling giants with quick steady blows. "Take THAT! And THAT! Hai-ya! Can't catch me!"


Ninja Slashboom continued his valiant quest to rid the world of evil until Mommy, with no respect for the precarious fate of humankind, lost all patience and inflicted upon him the tortures of nourishment. The battle for the world would have to wait for another day.

***

Sunday morning arrived with the promise of scorching temperatures. Ninja Slashboom quickly arranged for transportation to the nearby wave pool, where there was rumored to be a bad guy invasion for later in the day. After suffering through some pesky errands and having to listen to Buckethead chat incessantly about "goo goo's" and "dah's" and other ridiculous baby topics, Ninja Slashboom's chauffer finally pulled up to the entrance of the wave pool.

Ninja Slashboom and Buckethead quickly assumed their aliases. No one would ever suspect these two innocent boys of being deadly ninja warriors. Or the unassuming stroller to be a bullet-proof flying air-machine.


As they entered the park, Ninja Slashboom was excited to discover that the bad guys had yet to arrive. Perfect! he would have the element of surprise! He was free to stake out the terrain, plant some traps, and traipse carelessly through the water fountains. But first: armor. Ninja Slashboom donned his super swim trunks and shed all other unnecessary clothing items- wouldn't want to be recognized, of course! He then slipped into his magical floating life vest and he was ready for battle.

"Let's go Buckethead!" Ninja Slashboom cheered as he charged forward, not realizing that if he HAD been in the presence of bad guys, his cover would have been blown faster than candles on a birthday cake. Buckethead was not quite ready.


Ninja patrolled the wave pool and the water fountains, on the lookout for any suspicious activity which might suggest that the peril of the planet was near. So far, no sign of trouble. Ninja realized this was for the best when he glanced backwards and saw that Buckethead had already abandoned his post...for a snack.


Ninja dove into the water, a welcome reprieve from the 85 degree weather. He came up for air only to discover that waves weren't the only things charging at him. Out of nowhere appeared a tsunami of heavily-armed foe. Ninja grabbed his sword from an invisible arsenal hanging before him and charged.

"Take that! And that! I got ya!" He jeered. Foe after foe fell away defeated. As Ninja continued to charge he wondered where his backup was? "Buckethead?! Where are you?" He spared only a mili-second to glance back at his vicious sidekick.


"Great. All alone" he thought as he pressed onward. But he was not discouraged. Four years of ninja training had prepared him for this very battle. Scratch that. Four and a HALF years. Just when he thought there were too many bad guys for one mighty ninja to handle, Mommy appeared yielding a surprise weapon. In her hands were two glistening popsicles. Without warning, the bad guys vanished into thin air.


Ninja cheered and pumped his fists skyward as he ceremoniously accepted one Sonic the Hedgehog popsicle. Around him the kids continued to play, completely oblivious to the legendary battle that had just taken place before their eyes. No respect.

Peace once again settled over the Pacific Northwest as Ninja and Buckethead enthusiastically enjoyed their rewards. As the popsicles slowly melted, so did all trace of the fearless ninjas.

Jacob took Ryan's hand and together they marched back to the car...where Ryan, grinning boldly, thwacked Jacob in the face with a blanket. Jacob erupted into a geyser of tears which then turned into a 30 minute long tantrum. On the way home, Mommy chauffer stopped to buy a bottle of wine.

JUNE SKIES





Do you love hats?????

Hello my friends!!!!

One of my favorite accessories for Summer is definitely a hat! I used to wear them a lot just for fun and just to add a spark in my outfit, but the past years it became a necessary tip for Sun protection. And not only for the beach but for every time of the day. And for the night? it will be something unique in your appearance.

So, while I was searching for hats in Cityblis, I discovered (or should I say re-discovered?) the collection of Evgenia's Kim. Amazing hats, beautiful, a work of art, designed to be simple yet extravagant.





Hats and hair accessories for every occasion and style...white linen for the beach, camel toyo fedora with leopard-print raffia for your boho outfit, cotton cap with black and white stripes for your casual appearance, camel linen for your safari look and many more!








Many famous ladies of Hollywood just adore her creations...








why not us? Let's make a gift to ourselves and feel like a queen!







     mats mouts
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Google Reader... The End!

Hello my friends!!!

How is your weekend so far?

Today is the last day of  Google Reader, so just a reminder to back up your favorite blogs and follow them in bloglovin!



I know....one more change, but I believe that this one is really great. Bloglovin is easy to use, you can separate your favorite blogs in categories or themes or whatever you wish. Additional you can discover many more blogs!   Just try it and you will be surprised!

Add your favorite blogs today in Bloglovin and do not forget Ef Zin Creations!!!!!




Have a wonderful Sunday!


         mats mouts
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Friday, June 28, 2013

ANNUK CREATIONS BLOG FEATURE

So I've got my first blog article on a fashion blog through my presence on Cityblis! I love this post, and the Oscar Wilde quotes :)
Annuk Creations - The World of Colorful Art 
by Ayub's Fashion Fusion. Thank you Ayub :)







Thursday, June 27, 2013

Fashion Trends - Romantic Lilac

Is it Friday already? Oh Yes it is! So are you ready for a great night? And for a gorgeous weekend?

One of my favorite colors is lilac! Really trendy, great for a romantic appearance but also perfect for a more flashy one! This color became very popular in fashion the last years and not only for your everyday appearance but also for the weddings! 

Lilac mediates that the wearer is in a good mood and the colour attracts interest, in all accounts. You can do nothing wrong when wearing lilac clothes, the only thing that you should mind is that lilac is a very flashy colour, therefore it is important to combine low-keyed colors like black, grey or white or pastel tones.

I like it in every shade and in any combination. With smoky beige and beautiful lilac-purple  accessories...




1. Cotton Tank 2. Earrings 3.Bracelet 4.Bag


Or  for a more casual appearance with white shorts and ombre purple accessories (perfect even for the beach)....



1.Bracelet 2.Earrings 3.Bag


Or even with floral details and in combination with beautiful pastel colors like green mint. 


1.Earrings 2.Bracelet 3.Ring 4.Bag


No matter, on which lilac part of your outfit you decide, but keep in mind, that fashion experts said: “Lilac is the new red! A must-have” !!!


My best wishes for a memorable weekend! If you need more outfit's suggestions just visit Estella's blog!


      mats mouts
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Full Moon!!!!

Wow... what an amazing weekend we had! Once more we visited Nafplio and more specifically a small village 4km away, called Nea Kios. Our friends live there, so it was a great opportunity to visit them and to have a short vacation.

And we were lucky! Sun was great, sea was calm and warm, the night was full of stars and with the most beautiful Full Moon ever! I really cannot know if you can understand how amazing it was by the pictures, but I tried hard (still trying to learn my new photo camera!!!)




Beautiful colors, amazing moon, great feelings!







I love the sea especially on Summer. It really relaxes me!







Simply amazing! And I wish to have more nights like that. With a great, wonderful Full Moon, my family and close friends to hang out and having beautiful moments!


       mats mouts
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Calling All HGTV Fans: Advice Wanted!

Ok, I have a confession. My workouts at the gym are really an excuse to watch HGTV. I LOVE that channel. LOVE. Curses to my sister-in-law for introducing me to that sink-hole of time and encourager of futile home-improvement undertakings! My sister-in-law and I spent an entire week of vacation watching that channel. To our credit, it was pouring down rain most of that vacation...

I've decided that I can never have cable. If I had access to that channel, I would do nothing with my life. The children would never get another bath. Forget ever working at home. We would eat canned peaches for every meal. Because my butt would be perpetually parked in front of the TV watching drab and horrid rooms transform into magazine worthy spaces.

Now that we have actually committed to staying in our home (Many of you have asked why we don't just move to Seattle to cut out the horrible commute. The answer is this: our home I only worth 60% of what we paid for it. We're stuck. For a long, long time.), we're slowly making improvements. It's amazing how much you begin to get attached to your house once you put some blood, sweat, and creative energy into it.

We're putting off the huge ticket item, turning our unaccessible attic into a second story, and tackling some small projects for the time being. Next up, beautifying the exterior.

When we bought the house, it was this hideous shade of Pepto-salmon. New to that color? It's a curious mix between Pepto-Bismol and salmon. Here's the unfortunate evidence:



We already painted the exterior. The bottom half of the house is a really light grey-which apparently doesn't register in blinding sunlight. We had wanted a darker color to contrast with the white trim...oh well. Right now our house looks like this:


But it's not done yet. Our weird craftsman style home is wearing a Victorian hat. The non-functional peak is adorned in decorative Victorian shingles. The single color up top does not do these weird shingles any justice. We decided to embrace the funk and add a splash of color to the peak. I spent two hours the other night coming up with some design concepts for the peak.


I was very busy. This isn't even all of them!

But we need some help. My husband and I can't decide between our four favorite options. We'd love your thoughts, before I go around showing these to complete strangers on the bus! And forgive the poor quality. These are pictures of a printout of a picture that I colored on. And I had to use whatever markers were in the house. The actual red will be more muted. And to balance out the color-heavy top, we will add a grey trellis to the front with red flowers and maybe some other décor or additional trim painting. If we can ever decide on the peak...

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Huge Giveaway - Win a Blast Zone Air Walker Bounce Castle!

Hello  my friends!!!!

I am really happy today because I participate in a Huge Giveaway with a great gift! an amazing "castle" for your kids and not only....    

So let's start....                                           








Welcome to the Blast Zone Air Walker Bounce Castle Event hosted by Newly Crunchy Mama Of 3!

Summer is in full swing, and many families are looking for fun activities for their families. One thing kids seem to really love are inflatable bounce houses, often seen at carnivals and festivals. These provide hours of active fun, and seem to be one of the main attractions wherever they're located. Many people rent these for birthday parties, but did you know that the folks at Blast Zone make it possible to own these awesome play houses and bring the fun to your own backyard?

It's true! This amazing company has so much to choose from, including bounce houses of many sizes, inflatable water parks, and so much more. They even offer a variety of products for smaller spaces.

These products are made from high-quality, commercial grade materials and are built to last for years. Brandy over at Newly Crunchy Mama Of 3 recently received the Blast Zone Air Walker Bounce Castle, and it was a huge hit with not only her kids, but the neighborhood children as well. Check out her full review HERE.

Aren't you excited? Well I am, because I do know that my princess loves playing with air walker...and it will be better if that is a castle.. my princess will love it!

It is a unique, well crafted and safe game a great gift for your kids. They will definitely love it!

The awesome folks at Blast Zone are offering one lucky reader an Air Walker Bounce Castle of their own! How cool is that?! This is a $399.99 value, and sure to make your family the talk of the town!

Simply enter using the easy Rafflecopter form below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



This giveaway is open to US residents 18+ until 11:59PM July 19, 2013. No POBoxes. Ef Zin Creations  is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be drawn using Rafflecopter's Random Number Generator. All entries will be verified, so play fair! The winner will be notified via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.
This contest is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. Questions should be directed to newlycrunchymamaof3@gmail.com 


Thanks for entering, and Good Luck!!!!!

       mats mouts
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CITYBLIS DESIGNERS DRESSING CELEBRITIES


As you know, I am so excited about being on board Cityblis, the exclusive invitation-only designer platform. But I hadn't even realized what an amazing place it is to be, until I made a little reasearch by country... I was curious about who's there from Italy, and I found this exciting designer right under me: Flavia Padovan. The colorful banner caught my eye (of course!) and I had to find out more...


So i discovered Flavia's gorgeous handmade beachwear!






Flavia is a very succesful designer, more of her gorgeous designs are available on her website.


Flavia Padovan's collections are featured in top Italian magazines, and her customers include Italian celebrities such as actresses and TV stars!

Carolina Crescentini

Rita Rusic

Cristiana Capotondi

Michelle Hunziker